Latch



(No Model.)

B. RICHARDSON, U. S. SHEARER & J. L. MEILS.

LATCH.

Patented Apr. 1, 1890.

@Rhmmeo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA RICHARDSON, URIAH S. SHEARER, AND JOHN L. MEILS, OF FLANAGAN, ILLINOIS.

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,902, dated April 1, 1890.

Application filed November 23, 1889. Serial No. 331,330. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EZRA RICHARDSON, URIAH S. SHEAREE and JOHN L. MEILs, citizens of the United States, residing at Flanagan, in the county of Livingston and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Securers; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention is an improvement in doorsecurers; and it consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter described.

We have illustrated our invention in the accompanying drawings, and it is fully disclosed in the following specification and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the parts of our improved door-securer securedto the door and jamb. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing the door-jarnb in section.

Our invention has for its object to provide a device for securing doors which will force the door up against the door-stop no matter how badly it may be sprung, thereby excluding dust, cold, and wet, and it also serves, when used upon the inside of a house or store door, as a locking device which cannot be released or operated from the outside, thus providing great security.

In the drawings, A represents the securinglever, which is provided at one end with a screw-threaded stem or pivot B and at the other with ahandle C. These parts may, if desired, be cast or formed separately and secured together; but we prefer to cast them in one piece for compactness and greater strength. The screw-threaded stem or pivot 13 is screwed into the jam of the door-casing, adjacent to the free edge of the door in such a manner that by turning the handle 0 toward the door the screw willbe driven farther into the jamb. We may, if found desirable, provide a nut or interiorly-screw-threaded sleeve or casting B, mortised intothe jamb, to receive the screw-threaded stem of the securing-lever, if desired, as shown in Fig. 2. The stem or pivot B will be provided with a right or left hand screw-thread, according to the location of the device, or devices having the same kinds of threads can be used on different sides of the door-casing by turning the securing-lever up over the door in one case and down in the other. It will be seen that if the securing-lever be turned over the door it will engage the door, and as it is turned further the screw-threaded stem will penetrate farther into the jamb and force the door firmly against the door-stop.

In practice it is desirable to locate a bearing-strip D to prevent marring and disfiguring the door. This strip is constructed, preferably, in the form of a staple, and the pointed ends are driven into the door; but it may be secured by screws or nails or in any other desired way. This bearing-plate is so constructed as to form an incline from one end to the other, so that in addition to the inward pressure given the door by the screwthreaded stem of the lever A the inclined bearing-strip will afford another means of forcing the door firmly against its stop.

The preferred form of our bearing-plate is shown in Fig. 2, in which we employ a stiff spring-plate D, which is secured in any desired manner to the door, preferably by screws, and extends in an inclined direction. When the lever A is turned over the door and comes in contact with the spring D, as the lever is turned further it will be drawn in farther by its screw-threaded stem, and at the same time the lever will engage the spring and compress the same by forcing it toward the door. In this manner a constant pressure of the spring is added to the pressure afforded by the screw-threaded stem of the lever, and the door will be firmly held in its place.

A stop consisting of a pin or lug E may be secured to the jamb to limit the movement of the lever A away from the door and prevent the stem from being unscrewed, so as to render the device inoperative after it is once properly adjusted.

It is obviousthat the securing-lever might be used in connection with a door with or without the bearing-plate, and with a plain flat plate, or with an inclined plate, as shown, and the device is equally applicable to interior or exterior use. \Vhen used 011 the inside of a house or building, it will take the place of a bolt and not only secure the door, but draw it into its seat, forcing it firmly against the doorstop, and thereby excluding dust, cold, and Wet. lVhen used outside, it is extremely useful as a substitute for a button, a hook, and similar devices, and possesses the advantages over these articles before enumerated. It is also obvious that in some cases we might secure the securing-lever to the door and adapt it to engage the jamb, if desired.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a door-fastening, the combination, with the lever provided with a screw-threaded stem or pivot adapted to engage the dooreasing, of a bearing-plate adapted to be engaged by said lever when turned in a direction to move it inward on its screw-threaded pivot, said plate being inclined, substantially as described.

2. In a door-securer, the combination, with the lever provided with a screw-threaded stem or pivot adapted to enter the door-casing, of a spring bearing-plate adapted to be secured to the door in position to be engaged by said lever, the lever-engaging portion of said bearing-plate extending in an inclined direction, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We ailix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

EZRA RICHARDSON. URIAH S. SHEARER. JOHN L. MEILS. \Vitnesses:

WILLIAM C. NOFSINGER, EDWARD LITCHFIELD. 

